Through The Dark || Harry Styles

EPILOGUE

HARRY

1 Year Later

My arms are aching and my back starting to strain as I lift another heavy box onto the growing mountain in the hallway.

Lucy tried to convince me that the best way to do this would be to start fresh, to throw ninety per cent of all the shit out that we have accumulated over the years - both separately and together - and buy everything new.

She keeps telling me I have way too much junk but we continued to fight about it, even when she pointed out a load of my stuff is still in boxes I never bothered to unpack from San Francisco.

The packing tape makes the most jarring tacking noise as I run it over the top of another box and repeat the hauling process to the hallway grunting in frustration at having to do this alone.

I should have hired movers.

Lola's stressed about the commotion around her and she isn't helping with her incessant need to stay six inches from my feet at all times.

Stretching my arms up over my head and pulling the front of my t-shirt up to wipe sweat from my brow, I look at the chaos around me. There is shit everywhere, but it makes me smile. This is what we wanted, our own home that awaits us and finally, we can leave what's left of the past behind us.

I have been so focused on getting this all done that I forgot the time, I check my phone in a rush my mouth falling open at the lack of communication given it's been an hour since Lucy's appointment.

I should have gone with her.

My eyes shut briefly as I pray the result was positive.

Should I call her?

The slamming of a car door jolts me into the present, my gaze fixed on the front door as I see my girl burst through it with a giddy sprint.

"Harry!" she exclaims as she takes a running jump and I catch her in my arms with a huff.

She smells remarkably better than me, a whiff of gardenia I have come to expect, hitting me first and I wait for her to screw her nose up at my sweaty state.

She's too excited.

"Good news?" I ask pointlessly, her grin is telling me everything and her frantic nod following.

"Yep!" she squeals and I seal her lips with a hard kiss, brimming with pride.

"Do you think you two will ever stop jumping all over each other?" Lucy's mum trudges through the door with an equally proud smile and a teasing tone on her tongue.

She and Lucy have become so much closer over the last year or so and we were all honoured to have her walk Lucy down the tiny aisle of the registry office when we got married six months ago.

Not everyone understood or agreed with our relationship but her mother was not one of those. And with Preston and my family beside me, I happily married the love of my life.

I drop Lucy's feet to the floor but my arms remain around her.

"Go on, show me," I say.

Lucy reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a plastic card which I take in my fingers to hold it up out of her grasp and assess.

I chuckle at her new, and first-ever, driver's license photo, my heart full as she swats my shoulder with a gasp.

The name makes me smile wider.

Lucy Styles.

"Congratulations, baby."

--

1 Year Later

"She really is a fantastic cook," my mum gloats about the omelette Lucy has made her as we sit opposite each other on a small table in the sun, Lola by our feet begging for any tiny scrap we can spare.

"I've been telling you that for years," I joke and she smiles fondly.

"How is she handling everything? How's her anxiety with everything going on?"

Mum takes another bite while I sip on my ristretto.

"Great actually, I have to hand it to her, she is so organised and taking it all in her stride. I guess she's just focussing on the fact she's found something she loves to do. No more dealing with people like Claire with an E."

"Who?" Mum questions and I chuckle to myself as I shake my head in dismissal, dropping a piece of my own egg down for Lola to catch.

"Harry, how many times do I have to tell you not to feed her at the table!" Lucy's stern voice approaching from behind has me cringing as I beam down to my four-legged friend and then apologetically to my wife, teeth bared and my nose crinkled.

"I was just telling Harry how delicious this is," Mum intervenes.

"Really? Thank you."

She's still too humble. I am about to point out the rest of the people inside, filling every table in this small cafe feel the same, but instead, I reach for her hand and pull her closer to me.

"How it is going, Sweetheart?" Mum asks as I wrap an arm around Lucy's waist and she instinctively leans into me.

"It's great, I think! All the pieces are falling into place now, and I finally found the perfect barista, too."

"It's perfect," I make my judgement as I hold up my coffee cup. It took a while but I feel that Lucy finally appreciates my taste and coffee palate.

I beam up at my English Rose, her hair pulled back and her white apron tightened around her middle. She is exhausted from early mornings in the kitchen and late nights crunching numbers, but it's not without reward.

Her cafe has been a labour of love and despite only being open for a few months, it's already become a local favourite as it's sensational coffee and breakfast menu far outshines its competition.

And with plenty of vegetarian options.

I wanted her to call the cafe Pashion, but she disagreed.

Scarlett, on the other hand, was the perfect choice.

A/N:

Hey everyone,

thank you again for reading.

Also the perfect timing for Lights Up after Through The Dark, right?!

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